A RISING COMPOSER

Hunter Chang is an upcoming film composer and concert music composer from Chicago, IL and located in Los Angeles, CA.

As a film composer, he’s scored over a dozen short films, independent projects, full-length feature films, festival works, and other multimedia projects. He is a two-time recipient of the Wyatt Fund Composition Grant for two separate scores. He also received the AYURG Grant from Northwestern University to record a film score in New York City for an independent film.

As a contemporary composer, his pieces have been featured on over a dozen Northwestern University concert programs, programs at the Music Institute of Chicago, New Trier’s Commencement Concert, and various other weddings and local performances. He has also been professionally commissioned to compose and arrange numerous times for wedding chamber groups, orchestral work for the Music Institute of Chicago, and for other events and concerts.

His pieces have been performed and recorded by Grammy-winning Choir, The Crossing, Northwestern University’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Northwestern University’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, student choirs and orchestras, campus a cappella groups, Kenilworth Union Choir, KUC Bell Choir, and one of the largest student organized orchestras, “103 Musicians”.

Even as early as high school, he had been commissioned numerous times by Kenilworth Union Church for pieces which were performed and professionally recorded. One such piece titled “Sing To The Lord,” was orchestrated for two choirs, brass, strings, bell choir, piano, and percussion and then performed by over 90 musicians conducted by Hunter himself.

In 2015, his Piano Trio was selected to be performed at the New Trier Commencement Concert and was the first original composition to ever be chosen for this elite program.

Hunter was selected as the Musical Director of Lagniappe Potpourri, a student produced/written/performed musical, in 2014. His responsibilities included his position as a board member, head composer, and the conductor of the pit band.

Hunter has studied composition with Professor Juan Campoverde at Northwestern. He is also currently the Musical Director of his a cappella group, Asterik, and a composer and arranger for the Waa Mu show at Northwestern.

his BACKGROUND...

From Chicago, IL, Hunter Chang is a rising composer in the Chicagoland area. He is a student at Northwestern University pursuing a degree in Economics and Mathematics as well as a degree in Music Composition and Commercial Music from the Bienen School of Music. Hunter has studied piano for 11 years with Dr. Sung Hoon Mo at the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC). He has also played bassoon for six years under the instruction of Ms. Ann Dufek. He has continued his studies on both instruments in the summer program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Additionally, Hunter has been playing guitar for five years and alto/baritone saxophone for six years. He also studied music theory under Mr. Matthew Hagle at the Music institute of Chicago for eight years.

AS A CONDUCTOR...

Hunter Chang has been featured for his abilities as a versatile conductor, conducting genres of music from baroque era classical music to musical theatre pieces on Broadway. He has conducted the premieres, rehearsals, and recordings of many of his original pieces. Most recently, he conducted a 103 musician orchestra and choir for the premiere of his violin concerto in the Bienen School of Music’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

He rehearsed and conducted the performance and recording of his piece "Sing To The Lord" a liturgical piece for over 90 musicians and 40 unique parts including organ, percussion, two separate SATB choirs, and a 20 person handbell choir.

He also rehearsed and conducted the pit orchestra for an entire full length musical that he composed the music for titled, Lagniappe Potpourri: Across the 4th Dimension. The pit consisted of a full wind section including saxes, a full brass section, and string section along with percussion, drum kit, and two keyboardist. His musical theatre conducting career continued when he made his Broadway debut in 2015 by conducted the pit orchestra of the hit Broadway musical, Phantom of the Opera, for the play-out and exit music.

Hunter has also trained with more traditional works such as the Haydn Cello Concerto which he rehearsed with the soloist and ensemble and ultimately conducted for the live performance.

And A PERFORMER...

Hunter has also gained extended experience as an accompanist and performer. He has played for countless musicians in the area, for audition tapes, weddings, and other venues. He is also the principal accompanist, co-head, and sound designer for the annual LEARN Benefit Concerts, an organization founded in 2011 for the development of performing arts curricula in underserved schools in Chicago which he is the a board member as well as the sound designer and stage manager. Hunter has a rich solo performance history as well, spanning from his guitar and vocal performances at locations such as Old Orchard Mall to support MIC when he was eight years old to conducting the pit orchestra of Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Since then, Hunter has performed at venues throughout Chicago including Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago's House of Blues and Nichols Hall.